Thinning out the forend on a Marlin 1894

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Gulfcowboy

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I recently had a chance to handle a Winchester model 94 In 30-30. I currently own a jm stamped marlin 336 in 30-30. While in possession of the two I put them together side by side, and notice the marlin had wider forend. The 94 felt better in the hand do to the thinner forend. Has anyone ever shaved any meat off a marlin lever action forend? The reason I ask is in I'm looking at getting lever action in 357 magnum. I'm torn between between a marlin 1894, or a rossi 92. I really like the 92 with it thinner forend. But it seems like nightmare to disassemble. I know the Marlin is much easier to disassemble. If I did get a Marlin I would have to go with a current production. All the JM stamp 1894 marlins in 357 are asking far too much. At least ones I'm seeing at this time period.
 
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I took my Marlin to a friend that is also a gunsmith, I waited him to shave down my forend he said WHAT its a piece of wood what are you afraid of, so I took my time shaved it down looked good two it was a 35rem, my son still has it !!!
 
Gulfcowboy said:
I recently had a chance to handle a Winchester model 92 In 30-30. I currently own a jm stamped marlin 336 in 30-30. While in possession of the two I put them together side by side, and notice the marlin had wider forend. The 92 felt better in the hand do to the thinner forend. Has anyone ever shaved any meat off a marlin lever action forend? The reason I ask is in I'm looking at getting lever action in 357 magnum. I'm torn between between a marlin 1894, or a rossi 92. I really like the 92 with it thinner forend.
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A '92 chambered for .30-30? No such thing.
 
Shave away.
There's plenty of meat to work with.

Even the big boomers can be trimmed substantially. I have a Marlin 444 with a fore-end thinner than Winchester 1894s.
 
It's just wood, have at it. Take it down close to desired finished size, sand it smooth, and put a couple of coats of poly finish on it. Done! It's not hard to do.
 
I'd use a scraper. Be sure to check it against a flat edge ruler so you don't scrape "finger grooves" into it accidentally. This happens when you remove wood unevenly. Mark the high spots with a pencil, work on those and check with the edge of the flat edge ruler again.
 
don't think marlin is still making the 357, I think henry is the only major majufacturer still doing 357, besides some of the high end pederosolis and such....
 
The .357 Mag chambered 1894 officially returned to the market about three years ago.
About six or seven years ago, some pre-production samples were sent to a few gun writers, but Marlington postponed the project and told the writers not to publish. Much of the "the .357 Mag 1894 is dead" myth persists because of that "they're back! ... Oh, nevermind" incident.
 
I shaved down the forend on my first Marlin way back about 1982. It was easy to do and felt many times better in the hand. And I did it for the same reason. I held a 94 Winchester and loved the slim feel.

Instead of scraping off the finish you may want to try Citristrip. You just paint it on and wait and the old finish comes right off. I had always used a broken glass scraper but after the last stock stripping project I will never use a scraper again. And one bottle will do many stocks. Its really good stuff.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Citrist...rnish-Stripping-Gel-Non-NMP-QCSG801/307416109
 
Marlin can't make up their mind. Some years they have very thin forearms, other years chunky. I prefer to buy the thin ones. Most of the ones made in the 1970's and early 80's have thinner wood.
 
There is more than one way to do about everything.I don't know f they still make them,but a little tool that works real well is an Exacto spoke shave.

I looks ust lie a scaled down large spokeshave,abot 3 1/2 in long,made of cast aluminum or potmetal.

It has a good steel bladeset in it,like a plane or spokeshave.Its easy to sharpen,and like a place,you set the blade to give the shaving thickness you want.

They used to e about $2 I've found them real handy on stocks.

Update: Exacto apparently discontinued the tool.

I found this one.It appears identical,at a surfboard builder site.

https://greenlightsurfsupply.com/products/surfboard-shaping-spokeshave-tool
 
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